I was never a Pulp fan, and I'm still not exactly a huge one. I never quite got why songs like 'Do you remember the first time' and 'Common People' were so great. I don't mind those songs now, but they never hit me in the way that 'This is Hardcore' did.
It's hard to explain why the dramatic, slightly ridiculous tone of the song appeals to me so much. The song is built around a sample from 'Bolero on the moon rocks' by Peter Thomas, the German film composer, and I think it's used very well - the sample adds texture and atmosphere, but doesn't dictate the song. I enjoy the way things develop at a slow pace, with new musical sections still being introduced late in the song. I'm very fond of all of these, but the slow, dreamy section that comes in at around 4:15 is particularly appealing, with its lush and strangely 80s sounding backgrounds.
03 Sep 04 ·scrubbles: Totally agree ... I remember that the video for this song was equally fantastic - a tribute to '50s technicolor melodramas, but with an added dose of sleaze. 07 Sep 04 ·olli: dammit. just rediscovered this myself and was about to rcommend it. didn't appeal to me the first time around,
but then again i probably have a slightly better/ more diverse taste in music now. besides, the years have been kind to it. you're spot on about the use of the peter thomas sample, i have to agree that it's pretty tastefully done. 07 Sep 04 ·olli: if you can use the word "tasteful" about this song, that is:)
You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be,
And I don't want to go home right now..
This song always leaves me feeling emotionally shaken, but in a good way. The lyrics are really powerful.
The sound is amazing; the guitar sounds great.
One of the other instruments used is a mandolin.
Definately one of my favourite songs.
from Dizzy Up The Girl available on CD - City of Angels Soundtrack
14 Apr 06 ·CaitlinSpelledWrong: I always wondered exactly what was the instrument in that song that I loved. I thought maybe it was a violin but it must be a mandolin. It's so beautiful and it just adds to the beauty of the lyrics
Wanna wake up where you are,
I won't say anything at all.
So, why don't you slide,
Yeah, I'm gonna let it slide..
This song is about a guy and a girl. The girl, raised by strict Catholic parents, got pregnant, and the guy and girl are trying to decide whether to have an abortion, get married, etc.
Their usual hard-rock sound missing, "Slide" continued a string of ballad-like hits for the Goo Goo Dolls.
from Dizzy Up Girl, available on CD
28 Dec 03 ·leanne: Thank you for mentioning the goo goo dolls in your recommendations but aren't you overlooking their older albums that aren't as well known? They have amazing music in their past - check it out.
I was really into the Polyphonic Spree record about a year ago and read somewhere that frontman Tim Delaughter was the singer in Tripping Daisy. There were some pretty rabid recommendations on Amazon for the third TD album - "Jesus Hits Like the Atom Bomb," so I ordered a used copy. It took a few spins to get into, but damn it's a keeper. Melodic art pop heaven. If ya care: it's produced by Eric Drew Feldman - who was a member of Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band, played keyboards for Pere Ubu for a while, and also produced some of Frank Black's earlier solo stuff.
Anyways, as its title suggests, "Our Drive to the Sun / Can a Man Mark it?" comes in two parts. "Our Drive ..." is sunshiney modern pop in the vein of the Flaming Lips, with hooks galore (there are like four parts that could qualify as killer choruses). At about the four minute mark, the track morphs into "Can a Man ...", which sounds something like a Gary Numan song remixed by Kevin Shields. Great change ups throughout and just a real nice listen.
from Jesus Hits Like the Atom Bomb, available on CD (Island)
